COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE PROGRAMS

FEATURED STORY:

Tina, a 20 year old single Mom, found she could not care for her two children. She could not afford to feed them. She gave them to her grandmother in Brooklyn, but her grandmother was evicted from her apartment. The two children were placed in foster care.

Tina was a young woman with a rough, abusive background – no help, no support and all the odds stacked against her. Pregnant at 16, she had dropped out of school. When we first met Tina in court, there were no smiles, only tears. The attorney for the children and the attorney for Tina were treating her like “just another file.” Negative feedback only made Tina withdraw further into herself. There seemed to be no turning this around; she was going to lose her two children forever. The CASA advocate started spending time with Tina. All she needed was someone who took the time to care: a helping hand, and an encouraging word, which she so seldom heard. She needed someone to believe that she had some kind, any kind, of potential. CASA worked with the social worker assigned to the children and enrolled Tina in individual therapy and parenting classes in preparation for dealing properly with behavioral issues once the children could return. Tina also enrolled in Suburban Technical School where she has a B+ average and will graduate soon as a medical assistant with placement in a hospital. She plans on continuing school to obtain her LPN so she can build a stable future for her family. The judge relied on the CASA advocate to be her eyes and ears; to come forward with the correct information regarding the children, Tina and the foster parents; to make sure the adequate resources were made available and the orders placed by the court were acted upon. CASA lent a helping hand to someone who grabbed it and held on for life!

The Long Island CASA Programs are foster care advocacy programs in which trained volunteers assist the Family Court by fact-finding, interviewing, and reporting on children in foster care.

Volunteers, known as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are interested men and women from all walks of life, trained by EAC Network to work with program staff and the courts. When a case is assigned to a CASA volunteer, (s)he will speak with caseworkers from public or private agencies that are caring for the child. (S)he will interview caseworkers, and will make visits to the child in the foster home. Other parties to the case who may be contacted include school officials, therapists, doctors or family attorneys.

CASA volunteers are trained in the laws and procedures surrounding the foster care system, how to interview, write reports for the court, and work with families within the foster care system.

Clients Served in 2014:71 Contact Info:Nassau County:
Family Court Advocate Program (FCAP) (516) 539-0150 X137
Suffolk County:
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) (631) 853-4260Funding:The Long Island Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs are supported through funds from the Unified Court System and private donations. Cost for training sessions are partially offset by I.O.L.A. Program Contacts:Suffolk: Christine Teitel, christine.teitel@eacinc.org;
Long Island: Dawne Smith, Esq., dawne.smith@eacinc.orgProgram Impact:There are approximately 1,200 children in foster care in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Children may stay in foster care on an average of more than 3 years. Often a child may experience the trauma of multiple placements. Many children in foster care do not receive consistent medical and psychological services.Program Outcomes:Studies have shown that children in foster care achieve permanency in greater numbers if they are assigned volunteer advocates. 91% of CASA children do not re-enter the system.
• Children with advocates are placed in permanent homes more quickly than children without advocates.
• Children with advocates are more likely to receive necessary services (medical, dental, psychological and special education services).Purpose:The Long Island Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs help children in foster care achieve a permanent home.